In parasols, particularly in large parasols, of the above mentioned type, sliders are used for opening and closing a canopy, wherein a locking device locks the canopy in its open and tensioned state.
From EP 0 934 708 A1 there is known a parasol with such a locking device having a slider and a hand lever. The above parasol has been found to need further improvement in that, on the one hand, the construction and also the handling could be simplified and, further, some protection against dirt etc. would be desirable. Furthermore, the exposed mechanical system bears some risk of catching the hand or parts thereof.
In FR 1 176 898 A there is disclosed a parasol in which canopy rods of a canopy are supported through supporting struts on an accommodating collar of a slider, which, with the canopy open, can be latched to a parasol pole through a releasable pawl and a catch, wherein the pawl is arranged on a tilting lever that extends along a sliding direction of the slider and is articulately connected thereto, and wherein the hinge pin of the tilting lever is oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis of the parasol pole. In FR 1 176 898 A the hinge pin of the tilting lever is arranged far outside of the pole and, thus, the pawl that engages into the pole for locking purposes is located closer to the longitudinal axis of the parasol pole than the hinge pin, and by means of a corresponding encasement of the pawl this also applies in the opened state thereof. In the parasol known from FR 1 176 898 A, the tilting lever (8) is surrounded by parts of the slider that have an enlarged radius at this position, whereby the slider does not get into close contact with the pole. The tilting lever has an operating button, and the surrounding parts of the slider have an aperture through which the operating button is made accessible.
In US 2004/0 011 391 A1 there is described a parasol wherein canopy rods of a canopy are supported through supporting struts on an accommodating collar of a slider, which, with the canopy open, can be latched to a pole top mounting through a releasable pawl and a catch, wherein the pawl is arranged on a tilting lever that extends along a sliding direction of the slider and is articulately connected thereto, and wherein the hinge pin of the tilting lever is oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis of the parasol pole. Also in US 2004/0 011 391 A1 the hinge pin of the tilting lever is arranged far outside of the pole and, thus, the pawl that engages into the pole for locking is also closer to the longitudinal axis of the parasol pole than the hinge pin, and due to the geometry proposed therein this also applies in the opened state thereof. Because in US 2004/0 011 391 A1 the pawl of the tilting lever shall be configured to latch into a catch of the pole top—and not into the pole itself—the pawl of the tilting lever is exposed and unprotected.